Means for securing shoe-tongues and the like



, G. L. sowans.

MEANS FOR SECURING SHOE TONGUES AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV-30, I920.

1,386,985. Patented Aug. 9, 1921.

Geoz'a'e Z. Bowers 'INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

arass stares te t: mm

GEORGE LUTHER Bownas, or nwiiiax, 01110.

MEANS FOR sn'cuaine siren-routines THE Linn;

' Application filed November T 0 all whom it may concern: a r

Be itknown that I, GEORGE L. Bownus-a citizen of the United States of America, and

a resident of Newark, county of Licking, State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in and Relating to Means for Securing Shoe-Tongues andthe like, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain improvements in and relating to means for securing shoe tongues and the like; and the objects and nature of the invention will be readily understood by those skilled "inthe' art in the,

light of the following explanation of the accompanylng drawings illustrating what I now believe to be the preferred embodiments or mechanical expressions of my invention, from among other forms, arrangements and constructions withlnthe spirit. and scope thereof.

' It is an ob ect of the present invention to provide simple, eflicient and inexpensive means" for securing theflclosure flaps of laced articles,.such as thetongues of'shoes, which means may be readily applied to the article after manufacture, or maybe attached to and incorporated in the article when manufactured.

A further. object of the invention is to provide improved means for securing the closure flaps of laced articles, such as the tongues of shoes, against longitudinal and lateral movement in closed, laced position;

' and to thereby overcome the formation of buclies or folds and the consequent unsightliness and discomfort resulting therefrom.

A further object of the invention is to provide improved means for securing the closure flaps of laced articles, such as the tongues of shoes in closed, laced position by utilizing the lacing to engage and cooperate V with the securing means in the operation of lacing the article and substantially without departing from or changingthe usual and customary manner of performing the lacing operation. I Other objects and advantages vwill appear in the following moredetailed description and explanation of theinvention.

Referring to the accompanying drawings:.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a shoe provided with thesecuringmeans of my 'in- Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Aug, 9 1921.

so, 192o. Serial No; 427,279.

vention applied to the tongue thereof, and

showing the shoe upper and tongue in closed, laced position with my improved tongue securing engaged by the shoe lacing.-

Fig. 2 isa detail perspective view of securing means embodying my invention apmeans cooperating with and plied to-the tongue of a shoe, and showing F g. 3, showing J illustrated application and use dueto certain 'ing the tongue of a shoe in proper position peculiar conditionsencountered in maintain- I when the shoe is laced and in use on the foot bf awearer, I do not wish tolifmit the inavention to applicationand use on shoes, as it is adapted to {application on all laced articles having closure flaps, or. thelike;

Int-he particular embodimentandapplii cation of my invention illustrated, I show a shoe 1 having the usualor any otherdesired upper 2 and tongue 3. The shoe [1 is "of that type in which the adjacent front edge portions Q 'and 2 of the shoe upper 2, are provided with opposite vertical rows of lacing engaging elements; 'in'this instance," the lower portions of each row are composed of eyelets i-andlthe upper portions-ofeacli row are composed of hooks 5.

engaging elements along'the adjacent'edge portions of'the shoe upper may be composed entirelyof eyelets, of hooks, or of any other However, itis to be understood, that the rows of lacing desired engaging elementswithout departQ h ingfrom'the spirit and scope of-the invention; Theshoe 1 is providedwith the lacing "6 arranged in and through the eyelets i inthe usual or any other desired manner, so

as to provide the lengths 6 and 6 which 1 I are engaged with; the hooksvofto'lacethe shoe onto the foot of ajwearer, as well understood' by those skilled in the art;

- fInthe'Fig, l of the drawings, theshoe- '7 the wearer.

i 1 is shown with the upper 2 and the tongue 3 in closed position with the lengths 6" and 6 of the lacing engaging the hooks 5 and drawing the adjacent edge portions 2 and 2 of the upper a, toward each other and over the tongue 3. The free ends of the lacing are tied into a knot, or otherwise fastened to secure the upper 2 and tongue 8 into position over and around the foot of The tongue of a shoe rests upon and follows the contour of the instep of a foot upon which it is laced and extends in a curve rearwardly from a substantially horizontal position at its lower portion, and upwardly to a substantially vertical position at its upper portion at the top of the shoe upper. Thus it will be seen that the tongue of a shoe when laced onto a foot is subjectedto various forces exerted thereagainst by the instep in moving or bending the foot, as for example, in walking or running. The greatest of these forces exerted against the tongue of a shoe is in a downward direction longitudinally thereof, due to the fact that the foot forms a wedge which is continually being forced toward the toe or the shoe with the instep bearing against the shoe tongue and dr y ing or forcing it downwardly. Like forces are exerted transversely of the tongue to force it laterally from its proper position with respect to the shoe upper, When the tongue is so forced by the instep of a foot upper 2.

from proper position bunches or folds are formed therein and cause great discomfort by pressing against and cutting the foot of the wearerand also detract from the neat appearance of the shoe. I

I provide two hooks 7 and 7 which are attached to" the shoe tongue 3, centrally thereof soas to liebetween the adjacent edges 2 and 2 of the upper 2. The hooks 7 and 7 are attached to the tongue, facing in opposite directions thereon and extending laterally thereof toward the adjacent edges 2 and 2 reso'ectively, of the shoe lln the particular embodiment shown in Figs. 1 to 3 of the accompanying drawings, the hooks 7 and 7? are similar to the usual shoe lacing hooks, such as the hooks 5, and are attached by passing the shanks or bases thereof through the tongue and clenching the same on the underside of the tongue, in the usual manner as well understood by those skilled in the art. The hooks 7 and 7 are attached to the tongue 3, back to back with the open side of each hook opposite the adjacent edge portion of the shoe upper, as referred to above and preferably are attached at such a point on the tongue that, with the upper, 2 in laced position, they lie in a line extending laterally of the tongue and between the adjacent hooks of opposite pairs in the vertical rows of hooks 5. I show the hooks 7 and 7 attached to the upper portion of the tongue 8 approximately midway the length of the opposite rows of lace hooks 5 and it is desirable that the tongue securing hooks be located between the upper end of the tongue to provide a space for securing the free ends of the lengths 6 and 6 and the deepest portion of the curve of the instep so as to remove the hooks from a position directly above the point at which the instep exerts its greatest pressure against the tongue. It is also desirable to locate the tongue securing means comprising the hooks 7 and 7 above the deepest portion of the curve of the instep upon that portion of the tongue which extends upwardly in a substantially vertical position, so that the securing means will not be directly above and resting upon the instep where it would be subjected to blows or pressure to force it aginst the instep and result in discomfort or injury to the foot.

ln lacing a shoe having the securing means comprising the hooks 7 and 7 attached to the tongue in the position above referred to, the lengths 6 and 6 of the lacing 6, are caught over the lowermost opposite hooks ,5 and then crossed back and forth over alternate opposite hooks of the rows to provide the usual cross lacing in a manner well known and understood by those skilled in the art. When the lacing reaches the opposite hooks 5 immediately below and adjacent the tongue securing hooks 7 and 7 the lacing lengths '6 and 6 are each drawn across and engaged with the hook of the tongue securing means which extends in the opposite direction from the adja'centhook 5 therebelow with which the respective lacing length is last engaged, and the lacing is then continued in the usual manner on the hooks 5 above the tongue securing means, upwardly to the top of the shoe upper. and 2 of the accompanying drawings, I show the length 6 passing. from a hook 5 on the edge portion 2 of the upper 2 below the tongue securing moans, across the tongue and around the hook 7*", then up wardly across the tongue to the hook 5 on the edge portion 2 immediately thereabovo, and I show the length 6 passing from a hook 5 on the opposite edgeportionbelow the tongue securing means, across the tongue and lace length-6 and around the hook 7, then upwardly across the tongue and length 6 to the hook 5 on the edge portion 2 immediately thereabove. The lacing lengths 6 and 6 are thenlaced over the upper hooks 5 to the top of the shoe upper and there secured in the usual or any other desired manner.

With the upper Qand tongue 3 provided with the securing means comprising the Referring particularly to Figs. 1

described, a loop is in effect formed around 7 the hooks 7" and 7 which looks and confines the tongue in position against lateral and longitudinal movement. The movement of the tongue toward either side is overcome by the lacing passing around the side toward which the movement is directed and longitudinal movement of the tongue, upwardly or downwardly, is prevented by, the combined action of the lacing lengths which cross and bear against the securing means immediately thereabove andtherebelow.

extending hooks 7 and 7"*with the joined integral shanks and bases as shown in Fig. 4. 7

It will be noted in the application of my inventionto the tongues of lace shoes, that the higher the shoe upper and consequent greater length of the tongue, the greater the tendency of the shoe tongue to become displaced laterally from proper position. This is particularly true of high laced shoes of the type for ladies wear and the invention is particularly applicable to such type of shoe to prevent the lateral displacement of the tongue and consequent unsightly ap-, pearance resulting therefrom.

The securing means-of my invention may be readily applied to various laced articles without detracting from the neat appearance of the article or of the arrangement of the lacing. In the particular application to a laced shoe, as illustrated and described herein, the position of the double hook securing means is such as to cause no discomfort to the wearer or to catch on articles of clothing and in operation the securing means maintains the tongue of the shoe in' proper position, preventing the formation of bunches or folds.

It-is evident that various modifications of the invention may be made in details of construction, forms and arrangements without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, as described and disclosed herein.

Desiring to protect my invention in the broadest manner legally possible, what I claim is 1. Shoe'tongue securing means attached to the tongue of a shoe and comprising oppositely facing hook portions extending from the longitudinal center of the tongue laterallythereof toward the oppositesides d of the tongue, respectively, the said hook. portions adapted to be engaged by the 'opposite lengths of a shoe lace whereby the tongue is confined against longitudinal and lateral movement in laced position.

2. In a laced shoe having a tongue, means attached to the tongue intermediate adjacent opposite pairs of the shoe lacing securing elements of the shOe upper, and pro-- viding opposite laterally extending projections adapted to be engaged by the opposite lengths of the shoe lacing to form substantiallya loop around said means between said opposite pairs of lacing securing elements, whereby the tongue is confined against movement in all directions by said loop formed of the opposite lengths of the shoe lacing.

' 3. Shoe tongue securing means for laceshoes and the like, comprising a pair of hooks attached back to'back to the upper portion of a tongue, said hooks extending in line laterally of the tongue facing opposite sides thereof, respectively, and each hook adapted to. have the. oppositely posi tioned lacing length passed therearound in lacing the shoe, whereby the lacing lengths are crossed above and below said hooks to confine the tongue against movement.

4:. Securing .means for the closure flaps of laced articles, comprising a base portion adapted to'be attached to a closure flap, said base provided with oppositely facing hook portions extending from a point intermediate the edges of said base portion, up-v wardly and outwardly thereabove toward opposite edges thereof, for the purposes substantially as described. I

5. Securing means for the tongues of laced shoes,.comprising a shank to bese- -j cured to the free end of a shoe tongue be- 1 tween the edges thereof to receive opposite loops of theshoe lacingand formed with oppositely projecting hooks extending toward the 'adjacentedges of the shoe upper.

GEORGE LUTHER BOWERS. 

